Thinking about fiction - about British Columbia, Canada

Again this week I found myself with a few minutes in the Vancouver Public Library's Book'mark Store.

In the 'gently used' books, I found myself two - The Chief Factor's Daughter by Vanessa Winn and also Emily Carr's Attic, a children's book by Diane Carmel Léger and Michael Léger. Both had good reviews, for example, The Chief Factor's Daughter in January Magazine by Linda L. Richard and Emily Carr's Attic reviewed by Gwyneth Evans in Quille & Quire. Looking forward to reading and sharing these.

And I had a good time browsing in the rest of the store. Lots of ideas for presents for later!

In the Library, I picked up a new VPL pamphlet, "From Sea to Sky: A Recommended Reading List of B.C. Fiction". So disappointing, as this apparently lists fiction by BC authors, not fiction about British Columbia, Canada. (There is a 2008 Vancouver BC brochure - for fiction set in Vancouver - but all published 2006-8 )

But if it's BC fiction you're interested in, check out Crawford Kilian's recent article, "British Columbia's best neglected writers" in the Tyee. And read the very opinionated The Essentials: 150 Great BC Books & Authors by Alan Twigg. Here's a review of The Essentials by Howard White of the KnowBC blog.

Another project to put on my own 'to do' list, I guess - which authors who write or wrote about BC would I include in a list of my own favourites? Certainly Ethel Wilson, Sheila Watson, George Godwin and Kate Braid and Eden Robinson. Then there's Pauline Johnson and Emily Carr too. How many are really reading their books today?

As for mysteries I like that are set in BC, that could be a brochure in itself. I'd include Never Sleep with a Suspect on Gabriola Island by Sandy Frances Duncan & George Szanto (love the title!) and I like the Silas Seaweed series set around Victoria written by Stanley Evans. And there are so many more mystery authors, like Nora Kelly and Gwen Southin...to write about another day.